Winter's Echo

Chapter Twenty-Nine – The Silent Swan Song

"I'm so excited for the both of you, Honeymaren," Anna said sincerely, closing her eyes and breathing in the salty breeze of the fjord. Honeymaren hadn't said a word since they left Elsa in the empty Northuldran encampment. Granted, they had only been riding for a few minutes, but a few minutes of silence felt like forever to the energetic young queen. Besides, if Elsa wanted to be the one to announce their engagement, this would be the only opportunity for her to talk to the Northuldran about it with no risk of uninvited, curious ears. "I'm assuming she asked you, considering the rings are made of ice. Tell me all about it!" she gushed, turning as best she could to look at the noaide. Honeymaren gave a small, half-heartedly playful smile. "A noaide doesn't kiss and tell, Sugar Rush," she answered.

Truth be told, Honeymaren couldn't stop thinking about whether or not she did the right thing in accepting Elsa's proposal. She wanted so badly for Elsa to have every happiness she could possibly give her...and, by the Spirits, Elsa was – the blonde was the happiest the empathic nomad had ever seen her. But to what end? Honeymaren had brought the queen to the heights of heaven, knowing she was mere hours from being pushed off of the edge to an agonizing fall from grace. But was that crueler than Honeymaren denying her the experience entirely?

"...Hey, Anna?" Honeymaren asked quietly. "Hm?" Anna responded, tilting her head to look at Honeymaren over her shoulder. The Northuldran worried her lip for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Answer a hypothetical question for me. Say Kristoff had a gift for you; something you wanted more than anything in the world, but he could only give it to you for a short while before you would have to give it up again. Would it be better to have the gift and then having to give it up or to not have the gift at all? Would..." Honeymaren swallowed the emotional lump in her throat quietly, looking away and watching the shoreline pass as Nokk cantered leisurely down the fjord. "Would you be angry with him for giving you something he knew you couldn't keep?" Anna blinked and furrowed her brow, clearly taking great care to think through her answer, for which the noaide was grateful.

"I would still be glad he gave it to me," she finally answered, her voice laced with confidence. "Why?" Honeymaren asked, her voice sounding a bit more desperate to her ears than she liked. "Because...time is precious and shouldn't be wasted," Anna said matter-of-factly. "Life is so short. We need to enjoy life while we can, not live it in fear of the ending. Even if it was for a short while, it sounds like this gift would have made me very happy. Just because I wouldn't stay that way forever doesn't mean I don't want to be happy for as long as I can. We aren't living if we are counting the days, Honeymaren...we are only living if we make the days count." Honeymaren blinked when she felt Anna's hand squeezing her knee reassuringly. She looked back at Anna to see the young queen smiling gently, watching her kingdom come into view.

"And no, I wouldn't be mad," she continued softly. "I would love Kristoff all the more, because I know it would be very hard for him to see me have to give up the thing I wanted and he gave it to me anyway to make me happy. It wouldn't make it any easier to give it up, but it would make it easier to heal the pain knowing it was borne of love." Honeymaren blinked back tears, biting her lip hard to hold back the dam that threatened to break. Anna's gentle pat on her leg nearly undid her. "The only gift Elsa needs is your love, Honeymaren. The more you can prove that to her, the happier she will be. As long as she knows how much you love her, Elsa will have everything she's ever wanted."

Honeymaren stared at Anna in quiet wonder and admiration. The woman before her was wise far beyond her years, the struggle of her earlier life having given her an emotional maturity and aptitude many people would never reach. The young queen was for more capable of introspective thought than anyone the noaide had ever met, including her beloved. While Elsa's quixotic mind had spent her many years in isolation working out ways to distance herself from her emotions, Anna had devoted that same time to understanding and exploring them. As such, the redhead had an unbridled passion for her fellow man that served her well in all aspects of her life when coupled with her growing maturity. Without thought, Honeymaren wrapped her arms around Anna in a tight embrace, causing the redhead to squeak in surprise before smiling and returning the squeeze as best she could. "Thank you, Anna," the noaide said quietly. "I hope you know how proud Elsa is of the woman you've become." Anna smiled brighter and patted Honeymaren's arms gently. "I hope she knows how proud I am of her, too. Both of us have done a lot of growing these past few years, but we did it as a family and that's what's important. Even more important is that it is that much more complete since you came into our lives," Anna said sweetly. She turned her head to flash Honeymaren a sunny smile before patting her arms one last time and leaning forward as Nokk approached the side entrance to the castle at the edge of the fjord. "Now, let's go! We've got a lot of work to do!"

Elsa and Yelena had been right that it was a good idea for both Honeymaren and Anna to smooth over the situation with the Arendellian council. The council was in upheaval, not at the approach of their soon-to-be guests but at the thought of their queen single-handedly fighting a battle against a kingdom led by a man as utterly unstable as Ulrik. Anna was doing her best to calm them from the head of the table but wasn't having much success. She hadn't even told them of her plans to return to the forest to fight alongside her sister, yet. Honeymaren's eyes darted back and forth between Anna and the other members of the council, reaching out with her senses to get a feel of the room, and concluded that Anna might want to refrain from divulging that particular tidbit to the antsy nobility. "We must ready our army now," insisted one of the elder council members, a solidly built man that looked to be was no stranger to battle himself. Honeymaren liked the man instantly, for she could feel his protective loyalty to both of Arendelle's queens. "There is no doubt that Queen Elsa can protect herself, but, remarkable as our beloved Queen is, she is still human – her life is far too precious. It should never be risked and it has been so unnecessarily!"

"Isn't it necessary, councilman Anders?" Anna cut in with a calm, diplomatic authority. "Elsa was very clear that the presence of others would rob her of her ability to not only defend herself and the forest, but to minimize the loss of life. Us sending our army to the enchanted forest would cripple her, not help her!" Anna reasoned, placing her hands flat on the table and staring Anders down. "I, more than most, am eternally grateful for your loyalty to the Crown, Henrik. My sister has always spoken highly of you and has always trusted your judgment. I am asking you to trust hers, now...as I have learned to," she said in a gentle voice. Her tone was authoritative and came with the clear indication that she would not tolerate further challenge to her word, yet was laced with a gentle and understanding inflection that stole one's will to argue. Though Honeymaren schooled her features into reserved neutrality, her heart was filled with pride at the young queen she had grown to love as her own sister. 'Oh, Elsa...if only you could see her,' she thought to herself.

Henrik sighed in defeat, slumping somewhat in his chair. "It just...doesn't feel right for us to be twiddling our thumbs while our young Queen fights alone," he lamented. Anna nodded in understanding. "I know, old friend – but it is for the best. Besides, it would take nearly a week for us to organize our army and get them up there anyway. It is a long journey with very little in the way of established paths to move a large contingent. Ulrik is likely to be there any day now, so our army can't do us any good anyway," she finished, leaning back in her own chair and crossing her arms. The entire table fell quiet then, staring blankly at a large map spread out across the worn wood, silently searching it for undiscovered answers. Honeymaren's gaze, too, fell to the map of the modern world, studying it carefully. Her brows furrowed as she spotted Ulrik's kingdom on the map, glaring at it with a hostility she couldn't help. She hated the way the large, bold letters of Calabria seemed so close to the decorative crocus sigil that marked Arendelle while the cluster of trees that marked her home seemed so very far away from it. It served as a reminder of how far Honeymaren was from being able to help her love, be it protect her from a threat or fight it alongside her. The dark-haired woman narrowed her eyes a bit as she stared at the map. Calabria was much closer to Arendelle than she realized; it was nearly a halfway point to the forest from Arendelle if one moved northeast instead of northwest.

Honeymaren's brows suddenly furrowed further for an entirely different reason as she stepped closer to the table, using her fingers to measure the distance between the enchanted forest and Arendelle, then between Arendelle and Calabria. "Maybe they can, Your Majesty," Honeymaren said intently, being sure to use Anna's official title in their present company. Anna leaned forward, her brow furrowed in concern. "Honeymaren?" she questioned gently. "You said it would take almost a week for your army to reach the forest," the Northuldran replied. "How long would it take them to reach Calabria?" Anna blinked at Honeymaren in confusion before searching for a particular face at the table. "General?" she asked. Mattias, who had taken the details of the situation in stride searched Honeymaren's face, trying to deduce her plan. He debated for a short moment before answering. "It would take about a day and a half, two at most from first orders to Calabria's borders," he answered. Honeymaren nodded. "And, if we assume Ulrik has mobilized a larger force upon arriving back in Calabria and turned straight back to the forest, when could we expect him in the forest?"

While Honeymaren's voice was carefully neutral, chocolate eyes flicking back and forth between the locations on the map belied her mental state to her former mentor. His focus remained trained on her as he answered. "If we are correct in our estimations of the numbers in his original invading party, it should have taken him about a day to get back to Calabria with a smaller contingent. It will likely take him two days to reach the forest with a larger force, which puts him in the forest tomorrow. Why do you ask these questions, Honeymaren?" Honeymaren looked up at Mattias, giving him a pointed, meaningful look that spoke volumes to the man who had helped raise her before looking back to Anna. "Your Majesty, I think you should send your army. Not to the forest, but to Calabria."

Anna blinked in surprise, slightly taken aback by the suggestion. "Wait, what? Why?" she asked in confusion. "What good will that do?" Honeymaren bit the inside of her lip, her mind racing. Of course she couldn't tell Anna why the army being at Calabria would be helpful. If Honeymaren told her about her vision, nothing in the world would keep the protective redhead from jumping on Nokk right that moment and racing as fast as she could to be at her sister's side, predicted death waiting for her or not. But how to convince her?

"Honeymaren makes a great point, Your Majesty," came Mattias's voice once more from the other end of the table. The noaide's gaze quickly turned to meet his, her features softening at the silent reassurance and camaraderie she saw in his eyes. "The threat Ulrik has made against our Queens and our kingdom cannot go unpunished. Regardless of the outcome of the battle Queen Elsa will fight, our army should be waiting to punish what remains of his forces upon his return as well as ensure new, trusted leadership is established in Calabria," he reasoned with conviction. A chorus of agreeing murmurs across the table made Anna nod in agreement. "Agreed, General. See to the preparations. You will lead our forces in the name of justice as soon as the Northuldra are safely in our care." With that, Anna stood and nodded to the council, prompting all of the room's occupants to rise and bow low to their sovereign before disassembling.

Anna turned to Honeymaren and took a deep, steadying breath before offering a proud smile. "That was a good idea, Honeymaren. Elsa was right – you really are a natural-born leader. Are you sure you wouldn't consider a knighthood?" Honeymaren bit back a slightly guilty cringe; she absolutely despised keeping secrets and half-truths from either of the Arendellian monarchs. Instead, she gave what she hoped was a small, charming smile and shook her head. "Like I told you months ago, I am loyal only to the Queens of Arendelle and they alone are the ones I am willing to die for," she answered. 'At least that's one truth I can tell,' she thought bitterly.

Anna sighed and nodded, smiling good-naturedly at Honeymaren before releasing a cleansing sigh. "We should hurry and get washed up for dinner. You remember how to get to your room, right? Your clothes are still in there." Honeymaren gave Anna a grateful smile and nodded. "Good. Meet me in the dining hall in a half-hour, alright?" When Honeymaren nodded once more, Anna leaned up to place a kiss on Honeymaren's cheek and whispered so only she could hear. "See you soon, sis." Honeymaren blushed, but couldn't stop the warm smile of endearment from tugging at her lips as Anna winked and walked away with a small wave.

Honeymaren watched her disappear from the room before taking a steadying breath. "Miss me, old man?" she asked without turning around. Mattias moved from his position just out of sight near the opposite hall and simply stood there. After a silent moment, Honeymaren turned to face him and the look of expectance she knew awaited her. He gestured to the chairs at the table and the Northuldran sighed before claiming one of them, Mattias pulling out the one next to her and sitting down. He leaned forward quietly with his elbows on his knees, ready to listen.

And listen Mattias did, for Honeymaren told him everything. She told him about the inner war she had fought between her calling and her love. She told him exactly what had transpired with Ulrik, both in Elsa's youth and the battle of the forest. Though she skipped over the private details, she even told her old mentor of their shared night of passion before going into great detail about her vision. Mattias took it all in, nodding in understanding throughout Honeymaren's tale as he absorbed what he was telling her. "And you're absolutely sure of this vision? You are one hundred percent certain that it wasn't just a very vivid dream and maybe the result of the night's...excitement?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and regarding her thoughtfully. "I'm sure, Mattias. I'd bet my life on it," she answered confidently, choosing to ignore his 'excitement' comment. The general sighed and dragged his hands over his face with a deep sigh. "You are betting your life on it, Honeymaren. There has to be another way," he insisted, throwing his hands up in the air. "There just has to be! Nothing in life is that black and white."

"I agree, old friend," she answered. "That is why Arendelle's army must go to Calabria. I thought I saw Elsa's magic, but I don't know for certain. All I know is there is a clamor of activity just before..." Honeymaren swallowed hard. "...before I die," she finished quietly, Mattias looking at her sadly. She shook her head to clear it and took a quick breath before standing up, quickly wiping away the tears that had begun to well up. "If what I heard isn't Elsa escaping, it damn well better be you rescuing her, do you understand old man?" Mattias simply looked at his former charge, taking in the image of the selfless, brave young woman she had become. The general stood and looked down at Honeymaren for a moment before reaching out and wordlessly wrapping his strong arms around her in a protective, fatherly embrace. He squeezed her tight and laid his head atop hers, glad Honeymaren couldn't see his own tears slowly making their way down his face. "I know I could never replace your Father, Honeymaren," he murmured quietly. "But I've always seen you as a daughter. I'm sorry I never told you that, but I'm telling you now. I love you...and I'm so proud of you, kid."

The quiet admission nearly broke the noaide. She pressed her face into Mattias's strong chest, as though it would physically hold her tears at bay. Just as she was about to respond, Anna's concerned voice rang out from the opposite entrance of the room. "Mattias? Honeymaren? Is everything okay in here?" Honeymaren and Mattias jerked apart, both hastily wiping tears from their eyes. Mattias forced a small laugh and nodded at the redheaded queen. "Y-yes, Your Majesty, I apologize. We're just a bit emotional. Honeymaren just asked me to stand with her when she and Elsa get married." Honeymaren looked at him curiously from the corner of her eye just in time to catch his quick, pointed glance to her icy adornment. She couldn't help the small grin that spread on her features at her old mentor's quick cleverness as she nodded in agreement. Anna's eyes lit up with understanding and she smiled brightly, clasping her hands together. "Thank the Gods someone else here knows, I've been dying being the only one! I wasn't going to be able to wait much longer. We all know-"

"You don't have that kind of patience," both Mattias and Honeymaren finished for her. Anna pouted for half a moment before laughing and throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Well, I don't!" she exclaimed. "Will you be joining us for dinner then, General?" she asked then, thankfully changing the topic. Mattias smiled politely but shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Your Majesty; I want to start preparations for our troops to travel immediately. This is not a date I am keen on being late to," he answered before turning back to Honeymaren and offering out his arm to her. "I'll see you later, kid," he said slowly, his eyes saying all the things his voice could not - he would do everything in his power to prevent the gristly ending of the noaide's vision. Honeymaren gave him a small, reassuring smile and nodded, grasping his forearm and squeezing meaningfully. "I'll see you soon, old man," she replied affectionately, though she knew in her heart...she would not. "And thanks...for everything." Mattias nodded and squeezed back for a long moment before finally releasing his young protégé. He bowed to Anna before walking out of the room, clapping a hand on Honeymaren's shoulder as he passed and whispering to her. "Good luck, kid. I'm rooting for you."

Honeymaren released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Just like that, she had said goodbye to yet another important person in her life.

"It's sweet how close you two became despite the circumstances you were introduced under," Anna commented with a smile as she waited for Honeymaren to join her at the entrance of the room. Once she was close enough, the redhead immediately looped her arm through the Northuldran's and the two walked down the hall in companionable silence. Anna could sense the noaide was struggling with a battle inside herself and pressed in closer, simply letting the dark-haired woman feel her supporting presence. Honeymaren smiled at the redhead – it was small, but it was genuine and Anna took it as a win.

Once seated at the dining table, the staff began to bring out several plates of food for the two women. Anna grinned when she saw the Northuldran's eyes light up a bit at the pile of assorted lefse, giving herself a metaphorical pat on the back for having the presence of mind to request it. Near the end of the meal, both women were sipping quietly on their wine when Anna brought up the elephant in the room. "So, tell me what the plan is when we are back in the forest." Honeymaren swirled the wine in her glass slowly, staring into the small dark red waves she created. "Simple. Each of us has our place to be and a time to be there. We will do our jobs so Elsa can do hers," she answered bluntly, taking a long sip. Anna raised an eyebrow at the less than detailed response, leaning her elbows on the table and leaning in slightly. "Okay...and where is that, exactly?" The noaide lifted her gaze to meet Anna's searching teal and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Sugar Rush. I'll show you the best place for you to be when the time comes," she promised. "In the meantime, both of us need to be sure we have a full quiver of arrows and newly restrung bows." Anna nodded in understanding and leaned back in her chair once more. "I'll have a servant send the request to the armory. Anything else?"

Honeymaren stared down at the table in thought, replaying her nightmarish vision over in her mind for the thousandth time and trying to garner any small, helpful detail from the chaos. Her stomach twisted when she thought of one particularly gruesome detail, fighting to keep a straight face as she cleared her throat to speak. "We need something from the castle smithe that can cut through metal. Specifically, chains," she said before downing the rest of her wine in one gulp. Anna blinked, tilting her head curiously at the seemingly random request. "Why would we need to cut through chains?" Anna asked slowly. Honeymaren fiddled with her empty glass, running her thumb up and down the stem of the crystal slowly.

'Because you will need to cut my body down from the pyre. Please don't leave me there...'

"You and I may be able to cause all sorts of chaos when the army is still moving, depending on how much time we have before they get there. We can cut the chains from their horses to their wagons and prevent them from hauling any kind of supplies through the forest," she answered aloud instead, flashing a small wink at the redhead. Anna chuckled mirthfully and nodded in agreement. "I'm sure this will come as a great surprise, soon-to-be-sister of mine, but chaos happens to be my specialty." Honeymaren snorted in amusement, feigning surprise. "That's a gross misrepresentation of your angelic personality, Your Majesty," she said playfully before her eyes softened a bit and her smile became more genuine and sincere. "And you are already a sister to me, Anna. I hope you know how much I care about you...and that I only ever want the best for you." Anna smiled brightly at Honeymaren and blushed a bit. "I feel the same, Honeymaren. Elsa couldn't have made a better choice for someone to spend her life with."

Anna stood from the table then and moved over to Honeymaren's chair, leaning over and wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. Honeymaren placed one hand on Anna's arm and closed her eyes, soaking in the affectionate moment before the young queen pulled away and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "I'm going to head to bed so I can be up bright and early. I have a feeling that my own fiancé and the Northuldra will be here sooner rather than later without any greenhorns like Elsa and I slowing him down," she said mirthfully. "But let it be known, I made it most of the way up the North Mountain before I met him, so I'm not as green as much as he is just a grumpy, anti-social mountain man," she finished with an affectionately plaintive tone. Honeymaren chuckled and held up her hands innocently. "I wouldn't mess with you in a dark forest, Sugar Rush. I don't think I'd mess with you in broad daylight either," she said with a small grin. Anna laughed and playfully nudged her shoulder with a fist. "Yeah, you'd better remember that now that you are going to marry my sister. Don't stay up too late. I'll see you in the morning." Anna placed another kiss on Honeymaren's cheek before she walked out of the dining hall, leaving Honeymaren the last occupant of the room.

Just like that, Honeymaren was truly alone with her thoughts for the first time since she had woken in a cold sweat from her premonition. She briefly eyed the bottle of wine on the table before her, contemplating the wisdom in drinking away her thoughts before sighing deeply and standing from the table. No, she had an important task to complete yet before oblivion found its way to her. Honeymaren made her way slowly through the halls of the castle, following her feet as they tread across the thick carpet. She walked past the door to her bedroom and instead walked into Elsa's, closing the door behind her and simply standing there for a moment. She looked around the room slowly, memories of their time spent together in the space flitting through her mind. Ghosts of their stolen moments were everywhere in this room. She could see the silhouette of their shadows dancing on the open balcony, melding together in a loving embrace. She could smell the blonde's perfume as she leaned down and kissed her shoulder reverently while the queen sat at the vanity. She closed her eyes and felt the winter spirit's lips on hers for the first time in the very spot she stood now, the taste of salt on her lips from her silent tears bringing her out of the beautiful memory.

Without another word, Honeymaren sat at the desk in the corner of the room, pulling out several pieces of parchment. She dipped one of the assorted quills in the small bottle of ink on the corner of her desk before she began writing the letter that would take her deep into the hours of the morning.

'My darling Elsa...I'm so sorry, my love...'

AN:

Alright, I've got good news and bad news.

Bad news...I'm officially under quarantine due to the shelter in place order thanks to COVID-19.

Good news! Two week vacation with plenty of opportunity to write and give fast updates!

Bad news...the next few chapters are gonna be rough. I apologize in advance and will offer healing kisses to any and all hurt feelers or heart ouchies, but the strongest steel is forged by the fires of hell!

Good news! There is a LOT of story left guys. Remember that even the smallest candle in the darkest corner is still conquering the night. 3

Stay safe and sane friends! As always, drop me a review!

-Volchise